NHL OFFaly v Laois 16 february 2014

[Killeighman]

Good team you lined out there. I would choose to keep brian carroll where he is at corner forward. He put in a display which can only get better but he has a forwards touch and he was great in that position years ago. Parlon has declined rapidly in the last 2 years. I would put kilmartin into the midfield. He is a work horse that will run all day

[bracknaghboy]

I would choose to keep brian carroll where he is at corner forward. He put in a display which can only get better but he has a forwards touch and he was great in that position years ago.

Perhaps. But I feel we could have done with Carrolls industry around the middle of the park today particularly in the first have when there was simply no spark whatsoever from Parlon or Brady.

[Bord na Mona man]

Can anyone fill me in on Offaly's training at the moment? - Venues and session content.
In recent years Offaly's January and February training has been done in less that ideal conditions.
Yes, they've been training under lights like the rest, but the lights tending to be a few lightbulbs on wooden poles as opposed to the more sophisticated apparatus that other teams are working with. Therefore the quality of ball work has been inhibited.

[ryot]

Drove down the 60 miles to the game and disappointed so many home based fans stayed at home.

As for the game: Laois well on top and deserved the win but given that, Joe missed 2 frees in the first half and 4 in the second. Evan after Brian C had taken one ( or 2?) wide on the right and was standing over another, Joe took it from him and missed. Those would have had it level at that point !!!

On general fitness we are well behind what is required with many lads too easy pushed off the ball.

Touch was terrible but the dead sod did not help.

So fitness work and shooting practice needed (both teams missed a lot from play with Ls probably missing even more than we did but their free taking was almost perfect).

Barry Kelly was terrible awarding frees when there was no foul and giving them against players being pulled, dragged or held. We might have benefited most from that but a video analysis would be needed to check that.
No matter how bad the call players need to shut up, as he twice moved the ball against us and their first goal came from a harmless free wide out on the wing being moved to straight in front.

A lot of work needed and some of the injured lads badly needed.

[strawberry hillbilly]

Hi lads, new to the forum and came here tonight to read the reaction to today's match.

I was astonished at the display today, a far cry from the Offaly I grew up watching from Dublin. Even more astonished with the lack of reaction to the game. Seemed to be a grumbling acceptance of that's as much as you could expect leaving OCP today.

I don't have the answers and as a blow in to your fine county wouldn't even dare to advise where you go from here, but the lack of passion today sure is worrying, looking like another short summer.

[sam88885a]

offaly were terrible today should have lost by about 12 points.
WE had no game plan , no leaders other that j rigney .we pucked high aimless ball into the forward line where laoise had an extra man so every time laoise came out used lot of handpasses to free men running off the shoulder.
WE didnt look up for this game.
j bergin was destroyed at centre forward his work rate was zero he didnt want to get stuck in just stood under every droping ball waving the hurl with one hand , why c mahon didnt come on was the big question.
c parlon and k brady were useless in midfield but b walkins had a nightmare at centre back and he was left on for the entire match . walkins is third choise centre back for birr behind p cleary and r hanniffy
the managment are to blame they didnt start our best players d currams d kilmartain s quirke were only subs and c mahon didnt play at all. they had no plan how to defend puchouts how to play against 7 defenders so we had no platform to hurl from. we were second to every ball our touch was poor.
we needed to win our home games now we are in danger of been relegated.
i felt sorry for the young lads today just put in with no game plan just see how u go.
we need to sort out the engine of the team , centre back midfield and centre forward and develope a simple game plan around it .we were really really poor today even worse than last year

[Plain of the Herbs]

Thankfully the reaction to today has been reserved. Feckitt, it’s only February. Still, a few things grigged me today –

Kevin Connolly. Not Kevin himself, but the amount of ‘garryowens’ that were dropped on top of the lad. Then they took him off. As if 1) it was his fault, and 2) that such garryowens were the plan and was going to be persisted with.

The plan. Or lack thereof. It crossed my mind at one stage during the first half that Offaly’s hope was to depend on poor Laois technique in the tackle that would result in scoreable frees. I thought Barry Kelly had a good game. He was generally consistent, pulled for ‘steps’ when too many steps were taken, and always blew for the ‘Offaly’ type swipe which Laois were often guilty of too betimes.

Offaly’s inability to cope with a post-modern style of making oneself available to take a pass. And the inability to string more than one pass together themselves.

Freetaking. I’ve massive regard for Joe Bergin as a hurler (and this is not with the benefit of hindsight) but Brian Carroll is a more consistent freetaker.

Application. With Laois making progress last year, the next logical step for them was to go and beat Offaly in the League. That, and the Loughnane comments, should have seen Offaly in a much hungrier mood. That they weren’t is a disappointment.

Handling. Offaly couldn’t gain possession high up or low down. Laois, on the other hand, seemed to have Velcro on their hands, such was the way they made the ball stick.

Alot of work to do, put plenty of time to do it, and it’s far too early to panic.

[babsandbond]

Lads where is lone shark and toxcity....at whelehans appointment before chistmas i explained to ye what would happen and ye all laughed and said dont be so negative today is just the start of a downward spiral in offaly hurling.oh wait we might get a performance against wexford or the corks of this world and we will all come on here and slay how the "BELIEVE" is back in the faithfull jersey.we have to realise that we are at noting nore do we have the hurlers or the management..5 years christy ring trophy sad but true.our big players is joe bergin..and the last time he hurled for 70 mins was against limerick around 4 years ago...were on a sinkinhg ship and whelehan is gonna be shown hes a duck out of water at county management

[townman]

look lads lets call an ace an ace, we were way off the pace and laois should have won by 10 points.
i have said it here and i will say no more Kevin Brady, how the f..k did he play 70 plus minutes today
its a disgrace how he was left on so long, we have no leaders . with all the shit going on during the week i though offaly would go out and put down a marker. no they lay down and let laois give them a Lesson in the game.

say no more offaly were a disgrace today, yes Sid is a clubman man of mind but how he left or picked Parlon and Brady midfield today beats me, Garinder fullforward 3 games fullforward no score not even a wide what the feck is going on. last word but Ger words during the week sorry to say were right offaly are so unfit and we played a fullback who is two stone or more over weight, when laois out hurl you in every poistion on the field in which they did you know you are at the bottom of the barrel

wexford next lets forget about it. a win again Antrim is al we have to look forward to. to stay in this division and if it was in Antrim we would be in division 2b Sad sad days

[Observant 7]

When I heard Ger Coughlan was going to be one of Brian's selectors I had my concerns then and today brought back memories of the U21 match last June when changes were not made and good hurlers left on the bench. That day two or three hurlers did not perform at all and still changes were not made.

If I am correct during the week lads ye were able to pick three different teams from the bench so where were they today? not all of them were injured!

[fifitrixiebelle]

offaly lads givin out about referees??? ah here....

[Killeighman]

I dont know if any of ye know this but laois are training since last september. Now we can see why they are in such good shape and why they are flying it. Maybe offaly need to forget about this year and do a full years training to gain fitness and maybe a bit of competitivness.

[Toxicity234]

well let start with a warning.
This post is a rant.

To say I'm disappointed with that performance would be an under-statement.
I could come on here and tell you that the players were all to blame but to me the management has to take a lot of the blame. This is the problem when you appoint a rookie manager. The way he set up the team today was DUMB and his subs they used were DUMBER.

Our Goalkeeper save from the penalty was top notch. Our full back line was under pressure all day and were excellent.
Our half back line was Poor. Walkins might be a fine hurler but miles from being a good centre back. Walkinsmight be a fine midfielder but after watch Hanniffy a midfielder play centre back for 5 years Jesus Christ you think that we fucking try a centre back at centre back. We have a Fucking Load of good centre backs in the county it the one position that we have a load of players. So let stop fucking around with playing good hurler that CAN'T defend at Centre Back. We played Ger Helieon there last year and we did well and he a full back BUT HE HAS A BRAIN OF A DEFENDER something Hanniffy and Walkins will never never have.

Midfield was Shit. and I mean Shit. Parlon was useless today. I watch him three time this year and he being shocking. How he made it to 15 mins on the field and the best midfield in the county Kilmatin was left on the bench. Brady was mile off the pace but at least he was trying but the position he was taking up was not good. he was drag was too far forward and didn't protect the half back line.

Ok the half forward line. Egan, Bergin and gergarty. Ok Gergarty first day out. work hard but didn't get into the game. Bergin was muck. I'm not talking about frees. a free taker will miss some days that life. But the Bull shit of pulling on the ball with one hand on the ball. 14 time today he tried, 14 Fucking times he fail. 4 time he put up the hand for the ball and 3 he won. the other he broke to the wing forward. 60 mins of look at him at centre forward and it was 60 mins of shit. Of the 14 balls he pulled on one handed. 13 were pick up and cleared by the defender. That is shocking.
For the life of me why didn't Mahon not come on and Bergin go to full forward. WHY WHY. Egan I feel sorry for. It was his 1st day out this year he was playing beside a Centre Forward that didn't have a clue and gave no other forward a chance.
Full forward line. I not going to have a go at these lads. The ball they were get in from the half back, midfield and half forward was shocking. Carroll I have to say his attacking play was good but his defence work was very poor.

A lot on here will say that Laois played well but I have to say I thought they were just ok. If we were playing Wexford or Antrim today we would have being beating by 20 to 25 points. Sorry but that the truth.

Now. to me today the biggest problem was The Management. Some of the mistake the players were making were compounded by the why the team was set up.
Walkins shouldn't have being centre back at 20 mins. Parlon should have carrying water not playing ahead of Connally, Kilmartin, Mahon and Shortt.
Nothing against the lad but he was so poor in the two match I have seen him this year how could he have made the team is unbelievable.
Bergin is a full forward and a great full forward so why fucking play him some where else. Am I missing something here but isn't the fucking idea to play your best player in there best position. Is that not common scene.
We started with 3 midfielder in the half back line. a half forward in midfield. a full forward at centre forward and a wing back at full forward, You can deal with that but the fucking idea of leaving Bergin and Walkins on the field for the whole match. Parlon should have being off after 5 mins and Poor Kevin Connelly get dragged off 1st, that was some shit.

The team that should start the next day picks itself to me.

Demspey (did nothing wrong and His best position)
Wynne (did nothing wrong and His best position)
Kelleher (did nothing wrong and His best position)
Mcdonnell (His best position)
Mooney.brady (both were poor but what can you do but mooney less so.)
Helion/Shortt (at least they can defend)
gardiner (He not a Full forward and His best position)
Kilmartin(The Best Midfield in the county and His best position)
rigney (This man has bigger Balls than, our management team and county board put together)
Egan (he a important player for us and His best position)
Mahon (the Best Centre forward in the county and His best position)
Gergthy (One Bad game, Too good at club level not to be look at again and His best position)
Quirke (too good to leave off. Connelly i'm sorry and its His best position)
Curims (His best position)
Carroll. (his best position)

With that team Helion/Shortt can't being running around midfield. They must not go an further than 10 yards ahead of the full back, if that means the centre forward is free out the field so be it. our half forwards and midfield can deal with it.

Rigney I have to move to midfield. Kilmartin has to be picked at some stage we have to GIVE THE BEST FUCKING MIDFIELDER IN THE COUNTY A CHANCE TO FUCKING PLAY IN MIDFIELD. We have to stop team getting good ball into there forwards. Kilmartin and rigney will fight like dogs for everything. What we lose in have rigney sweeping we make up with him closing down in midfield. But if your worry about him not being strong enough for midfield you could swap him and Mooney.

Mahon has to come in at centre forward. He work rate and ablity to win a battle is a must. Bergin has to be let off the team after today. I can forgive a player making a mistake but making the same mistake over and over again.

With this team we only have two players playing out of position Rigney or Mooney and Helion. We still have 5 good subs to come on. Today our use of Subs was disappointing.

Mahon and Kilmartin should be brought to a tatoo artist today and they should have the Offaly jersey tatoo to they chest. With the number 9 on Kilmartin and the Number 11 on Mahon. I so Fucking sick of these two lads being fucked around with and the like of Walkins and Bergin get on to the team. I think Offaly fans should consider having a lynch mob and any player that in name ahead of these two player in there positions should be lynch.


I'm Putting in Bold. If 3 lads were sitting in the Brewley Tap from Friday playing neknominate and drank until Sunday they would have made better decision than our management team.

What i want to see this week Is the three idiots that appointed Brian Whelhan and him management team named and i want them and the county board chairman, Secretary and all the officer to Resign. How they could appoint Brian Whelhan and not interview Danny Owens is shocking.

People will say that our fitness was poor, Our Fitness didn't lose this game, Our gameplan did.

Some on here will say that Owen would have got the same results. To them people I'll say your talking BULLSHIT.

This rant is not over but i have some work to do. So i'll be back.....................

[dubbiff]

So depressing. However we should try and look (hope) for the bright side. Laois have apparently being doing savage training and were obviously much fitter. Also they have been together as a unit for a full year more than Offaly. Their fielding was a joy to watch but what struck me most was the fact that they had a game plan and we seemed to have none. They mixed long and short puckouts and then streamed forward to take handpasses and then deliver intelligent diagonal balls to the forwards. Contrast that with the amount of high ball that was dropped in on our unfortunate full forward line.

Our handling was abysmal - the amount of simple catches that were fluffed was unbelievable. As well as that we made schoolboy errors when under pressure - 3 pickups and twice I saw forwards (Connolly and Geraghty) winding up to strike only to change their minds mid-stroke and drop the ball.
The Laois game reminded me of the last Offaly - Clare game in OCP when Davy was just starting to impose his system. We lost that day but I couldn't see any future for his game plan. How wrong I was! Laois have the players and the manager and system now to put it up to most teams.
On the plus side the introduction of Quirke and Cleary made a massive difference while Currams should be number 1 choice for full forward. These three players deserve to be on from the start the next day.

If we had scraped a draw it would have been a travesty and yet we could have sneaked the win but fair play to Laois every time we closed in they responded with a score.

Regarding Ger Loughnanes comments I feel they were crude but accurate. I wont mention names because I remember Colin Corkery getting stick for his fitness a few years ago and the personal nature of the criticism disgusted me. However it is obvious that some of our players need to do a lot of work - hopefully Joe Quinn can do the job here. I piled herself and the kids into the car yesterday for the 60 mile trip and I reckon the day cost me e110 all in. I wouldn't consider that bad if I had seen more than 5 minutes of excitement at the end but it would put me off making the next couple of away trips. The most we can hope for is for the best 15 to start against Wexford and hope for a big improvement on yesterdays performance

[Bord na Mona man]

Hi lads, new to the forum and came here tonight to read the reaction to today's match.

I was astonished at the display today, a far cry from the Offaly I grew up watching from Dublin. Even more astonished with the lack of reaction to the game. Seemed to be a grumbling acceptance of that's as much as you could expect leaving OCP today.

I don't have the answers and as a blow in to your fine county wouldn't even dare to advise where you go from here, but the lack of passion today sure is worrying, looking like another short summer.

Realistically, Leix have been making strides for a number of years and these spring time league wins over Offaly may soon turn into summertime championship wins. They've turned us over in 2004 (on the sacred Birr sod) and 2008 in the league for example but yesterday was the most emphatic.

The question is whether Offaly can improve from this and learn a few lessons. I would hope for a backlash in the next couple of games. If not, then I would have to conclude that we're playing to the limits of our ability right now.